A Pouch SOP Book has been created in response to a recommendation in theSystem Safety Review conducted last year. The Pouch SOP Book is a full copy of the Bus Operator SOP Manual. The Pouch SOP Book can now be found in the pouch for every bus run. If your pouch does not contain a copy of the Pouch SOP Book, please notify a station agent.

What is in the Pouch SOP Book?This is a full copy of the current Bus Operator SOP Manual that has been sized to fit in the pouch. Every Bus Operator SOP is in the book. It is meant to provide a reference to operators in the field when needed. The SOPs in the Pouch SOP Book are up to date as of the publication date on the cover.

What isnotin the Pouch SOP Book?Like the standard-sized Bus Operator SOP Manual, the Pouch SOP book will not be the place for general advice, insights or history. Nor will it replace official documents such as the Working & Wage Agreement or the Human Resources Manual.

When will these SOPs go into effect?All the procedures in the Pouch SOP Book are currently in effect. This is a full copy of the current Bus Operator SOP Manual and is for reference by operators in the field. The SOPs in the Pouch SOP Book are up to date as of the publication date on the cover.

There may be changes to SOPs prior to the next publication and distribution of the Pouch SOP book. Changes to SOPs are announced via Operator Notice and the most current version of SOPs are maintained on TriNet and in the Bus Operator SOP Manual reference copies maintained at each garage by the Office Assistants (OAs). TriMet expects operators to read and follow all policies and procedures that apply to them.

How often will the Pouch SOP Book be updated?New Pouch SOP Books will be printed and distributed to pouches at least once a year.

Where can I find the most up-to-date version of the Bus Operator SOP Manual?The complete and current Bus Operator SOP Manual is always available on TriNET and reference copies of the Bus Operator SOP Manual are maintained at each garage by the OAs. Contact the Help Desk (503-962-5818) if you have trouble logging into TriNET.

Who will be able to answer questions about SOPs?Contact a transportation manager or assistant manager in person, by phone, by email or by leaving a note. If they don’t have the answer, they can help find the person who does.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker visited Capitol Hill Thursday for an appearance before the House Oversight Committee. Under questioning from Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, Walker admitted a key provision curbing union rights had no fiscal benefit.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich: "Can you please explain to me and members of this committee how much money this provision saves for your state budget?"

Gov. Scott Walker: "That and a number of other provisions we put in because if you’re going to ask, if you’re going to put in place a change like that, we wanted to make sure that we protected the workers of our state, so that they had a right to know what kind of value they got out of it. It’s the same reason we gave workers the right to choose, which is a fundamental American right, a right to choose whether or not they want to be part of a union, and whether or not they want up to a thousand dollars taken out"—

Rep. Dennis Kucinich: "Would you answer the question? How much money does it save, Governor?"

Gov. Scott Walker: "That particular part doesn’t save any."

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin also appeared before the panel. In a rebuke of Walker’s approach, Shumlin criticized the targeting of workers’ rights and benefits in the name of balancing budgets.

Gov. Peter Shumlin: "I don’t start with collective bargaining, and I don’t start with my public pensions. I start with the true costs. In Vermont, and this is true of most of the states of the country, healthcare is my biggest rising cost."

Today, we see similar upheavals, though not yet nearly so advanced. We argue these tumultuous times are a direct result of Internet truth-telling about the elite's central banking economy combining with the evident and obvious failures of the system as it is. In fact, it seems to us that the Anglo-American power elite has taken a desperate gamble, purposefully destabilizing the current system in order to create social and economic confusion that will lead to the establishment of world government.